Running style for plantar fasciitis prevention?

Go see a doctor now.  Get running orthotics made.  5 years on the shelf with PF in BOTH feet.Put on 60 pounds.  Just started running again n Jan, dsown 30 pounds.  I got running orthotics that finally work.

I highly recommend to get the now.  As well Ice 2-3 x a day, really.

Before you go and get $500 orthotics made, I'd suggest getting into a thorough stretching program, with alot of focus on stretching the calves/soleus muscles. Getting a foam roller will also help the process. 

Ice the foot multiple times a day (and I like a frozen water bottle for this)
Strassburg sock for nights/relaxing
Stretching
Foot Rubz ball
Proper shoes (get fitted at a running store)

When I was 45 I went to a run clinic and was taught to run differently...more mid foot landing instead of heel striker. Within 2 weeks I ended up with plantar fasciiitis and after that achilllies tendonitis. It took about 6 months to get over it after seeing multiple docts, PT for months, I read in some tri book be careful changing your run gait even more so if you are over 40 as it can lead to injuries. I have had issues on and off ever since.

Depending on your age be careful changing how you run...I learned the hard way.

I have absolutely FLAT feet!  Plantar Fasciatis... the bane of my running experience but the very thing that drove me to Triathlon in the first place, but that is another story all together.
 
For me it has everything to do with my claves.  If I keep my calves loose and well stretched I do not have problems.  I also do some PT exercises to strengthen my feet to try and avoid problems.

Once I have a problem the only way to really get past it is to take some time off from running and focus on the bike and swim.  When I start back to running from a plantar episode I will tape my foot with a modified heel lock and keep my volume low until I am certain that I am back to 100%  I try not to rely on the tape because I don't want to "need" the tape in raced.

That's my .10 - Good luck!

I think you are too close to your race to be changing much on your running gait, its takes months not weeks in my experience and you basically have to start all over with your running...it's easy to overdue it again with a race looming.

Some runners have helped PF by massaging feet and calves a bunch, I would try that before anything else.  Getting any knots and tight muscles in your whole lower leg loosened up may help.

Edited by rockrunner 2009-04-12 9:45 PM

I agree that if my calves are tight my PF flairs up but tight glute or ITB or hamstrings can aggrevate it as well . I think everything is connect by your Fasica and if you have a tightness it can effect your weak spot in the chain as it is connected.

You and I are the same age and about the same weight. I spent many years with PF which finally peaked in Nov at its most painful point (8 on a scale of 1-10). I finally decided to stop running. I skipped the doctor and changed to a different physical therapist. In short, I started running mid Feb and have been pain free since. The remedy....a good therapist who realized my problem was the result of a muscular imbalance in my legs due to an ACL tear 10 years ago, bad arch support and a severe lack of stretching. I spent 3x a week working on building leg strength (mostly squats and no running) and lots of stretching. I was outfitted for a new set of orthotics in March and I haven't looked back. Everyone is different so I would find a good physical therapist that specializes in sports injuries. This is harder than you may think. I've been to a number of therapists before I found the right one. Keep in mind that you will not be able to treat the PF if you don't stop running, get treated and slowly build back into things. Good luck and have faith. It can be treated.

Thanks for all the support.
The stretching makes it feel better, so I'd better get after that.  I stopped running after my last sprint, and it is certainly getting much better- so it's just a question of time.   I'll stretch more.
So no forefoot for me.  Thanks for the insight from experience there.

cheers,
steve

I ran successfully for years, and never had PF. Then, in Nov. '07, just two months short of turning 59, I tried to become a forefoot runner. That quickly birthed left foot PF, which lasted througout the '08 season.

Thoughts:
1.) I was too old to try to make the switch as radically as I did. (Trying to get way too forefoot)
2.) It eventually worked, however, and I am now a better runner.
3.) I taped for every run between Feb. '08 and Mar '09. My taping was simple -- two circuits with cloth tape around the arch, and for races I used duct tape on top so the cloth tape wouldn't unravel during the swim. (There are several taping strategies, some involving creating a heel cup, others with tape running up the back of the calf. Best to get advice, however.)
4.) Sleeping with your foot held in the dorsiflexed position is highly valuable!!! Someone mentioned a Strassburg sock; I used a rigid (yet comfortable) night-splint made by Pro-Tec, and easily ordered through roadrunnersports.com. I wore it every nighjt from Jan 1 '08 through Oct 23 '08!
5.) Stretching and manipulating the calves is essential. That had been mentioned above, and I will pile on as well. If you go to the Trigger Point website (www.tptherapy.com), you'll see that their entire plan for plantar fasciitis therapy involves the gastrocs and soleus, with NOTHING to do with the feet directly. There's a reason for this!
6.) Having said that, there is some therapeutic benefit to rolling a golf ball or lacrosse ball under your foot. At least, it feels good!
7.) Don't rush it, and maybe don't even set timelines. That's not to say that you shouldn't have goals, but let your foot tell you what to do. You've got a big age advantage on me, but I found that rushing back too quickly just set back my overall progress.
8.) Follow-up to #7. Last year I cancelled out of Outer Banks (April), Columbia (May), and Mooseman (June) before finally being ready for Eastman and Tupper Lake sprints in late June.
9.) Follow-up to #8. DON'T DESPAIR! I then went on to do DoubleMussel (sprint Saturday, HIM Sunday) in mid-July and placed really well in both, and then in August I did the Triple Challenge at the Chicago Triathlon. Over the course of the seaon, I did ten triathlons, and earned a great USAT ranking. SOOO... rest it well now, and when it is (mostly) healed you will be able to race effectively!!! TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THIS!

I'm not sure that running form/technique/footstrike have anything to do with PF. I switched from being a heavy heel striker to a forefoot striker several years ago. Never had any problems. I ran just over 2500 miles last year. Toward the end of the year I broke my left big toe in a trail race. I was forced to take a few weeks of down time. When I resumed running I think I may have ramped up too quickly - and more importantly - I failed to do my post-run stretching after several longer runs. Shortly after an 80 mile week, I started developing achilles tendonitis in my left ankle/heel. I cut back my running, wrapped it and kept going around 45 miles/week. A couple weeks later out of the blue, WHAM, my right foot developed severe PF. It was so bad I could barely walk for a couple days. Since then I've done lots of stretching and self massage. However, things really started improving when a friend sent me a link to some simple exercises. Since I've started these exercises I'm now pain free and back to being able to run decently again. I would say I'm at about 95% as something still doesn't feel completely normal although I have no pain. I'll be putting it all to the test next Monday in Boston.

Here's the link:Younger Legs For Older Runners: Pete's Home Remedies: Plantar Fasciitis - easy

My advice for you is:

1. go see and sports MD to make sure it is just PF and not a stress fracture
2. review your training plan, most of the times this type of injuries are training load related (i.e. doing too much too fast)
3. There is NO one better way to avoid injuries (i.e. PF) but there are certain treats you should avoid like over striding, that is landing significantly in front of your hips (center of gravity). Heel striking is NOT a bad thing and neither forefoot, it just happens that most runners (even elites) heel strike.
4. If you can try to run with the least amount of shoe you can tolerate. That is IMO many of the sneakers availbe have too much cushioning, support, etc and that throws out of balance your stride. Get some light trainers that are very flexible and with little support. You can start doing some short/easy runs with this and build up until you can do all your runs with it. Be patient, it takes time.
5. Make sure to recover from PF before running (RICE, rest, etc); sometimes you can train through it but don't push through pain. Also incorporating a stretching program for your calves, hammstrings, hips and ITB plus some massage (roller foam, trigger point therapy, etc) could be very helpful.

Good luck!

WOW!
Thanks again to everyone.  I'm feeling much better about being able to recover.
It sounds as though light, short running wouldn't be terrible if i give it another few weeks of no running first.
I'm sure tempted to believe that it's my lack of stretching that caused all of this.  Getting older sucks. 
Strassburg Sock or not is my only remaining question, as it would make sense that the night time healing with the tissue contracted then ripped back apart on getting out of bed is problematic.
steve

P.S.  I'm told that heel striking can cause this too...   I suspect though that the worse cause (as many have said) is making a change in stride and also not stretching, like you said.  I feel mine came on after speed work, during which I pushed off with more force than usual, and also laziness in stretching.  I am now accustomed to dorsiflexing my "bad" foot at many points during the day.  Feels good and doesn't hurt.

I have just 2 words to say about PF...SOLEUS STRETCHING!!! I neglected to stretch this part of my calves for years, and I firmly believe this is what led to my horrid PF and resulting heel spur in my left foot. Now...I end every workout with a long, deep soleus stretch on both calves.

Two nights of only ace bandage to keep foot pulled up for the first 4 hours at night (when I wake up irritated with it and take it off) and voila, I'm way better.  -well, lots more stretching then I ever did before also.

I trotted down to get the mail and back (300yards) and we'll see in the morning how it's doing.

I've been wearing a gel heelcup/arch support and it made things feel better, but I've switched to simple Nike Triad shoes with no inserts to also see what happens.

It's concerning how people don't seem to get completely better - instead only maintaining things.  I liked things BEFORE the injury.

steve